India's Top 10 Most Spoken Languages

• Home/
• National/
• India's Top 10 Most Spoken Languages  

Check out this blog to learn about India's top 10 most spoken languages.

You know that India is a vast country renowned for many things, from its excellent climate and top tourist attractions to being the world's second-largest country in terms of population. Several people from different religions live together in India. India is a country where many people speak different languages based on their living locations.

India is currently the most renowned country. This nation has a total of 28 states and 8 Union Territories. The number of states in India was reduced from 29 to 28 when J&K was recognized as two Union Territories, like J&K and Ladakh. As per sources, it has a total of 1.5 billion people, where the total native languages is reported to be 424.

The government of India desires to impose the Hindi language in non-Hindi-speaking states and Union Territories, especially in southern states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

This blog explores India's top 10 most spoken languages.

India's Top 10 Most Spoken Languages (2025)

A total of 424 native languages are reported to be spoken in India. Here are India's top 10 most spoken languages.

Hindi

Hindi is one of the most spoken languages in India. It is an official language of the Indian government. This language is also the world's fourth most spoken language, playing a significant role in culture, history, and national identity. This language was officially granted recognition on September 14, 1949. Over 500 million people speak Hindi in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh. In addition to these states, Hindi is spoken in other states.

Bengali

Bengali, sometimes called Bangla, is a popular language of the Indian state of Bengal. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. It ranks fifth most spoken native language with over 100 million people. In West Bengal and parts of eastern India, over 100 million people speak Bengali. This language has been granted the status of a classical language by the government of India.

Marathi

Marathi is a notable Indo-Aryan language spoken primarily in Maharashtra state and parts of neighboring states in India. It is an official language of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a co-official language of the Indian state of Goa. With approximately 85 million speakers, this is the third most spoken language in India. Also, this language was granted official recognition as a classical language by the Indian government.

Telugu

Telugu is a South Central Dravidian language. It is predominantly spoken in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is an official language of these states. It was granted official recognition on October 31, 2008. Over 80 million people speak Telugu in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Tamil

Tamil is a classical Dravidian language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the first language in India to be designated as a classical language with 70 million speakers. It is an official language of the Indian states Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This language also holds official status in two countries like Sri Lanka and Singapore. The Indian government was officially granted recognition of this language on October 12, 2004.

Gujarati

Gujarati is a popular, Indo-Aryan language, widely spoken in the Indian state of Gujarat and its neighboring states, where it serves as an official language. With over 55 million speakers, this language is also spoken by diaspora communities worldwide. In addition, Gujarati is one of 22 scheduled languages of India.

Urdu

Urdu was officially granted recognition in a variety of contexts at different times. In 1837, this was the official language of the British East India Company, replacing Persian. It is also included in the 22 scheduled languages of India. This Indo-Aryan language is primarily spoken in South Asia, especially in India and Pakistan, where it serves as an official language.

Kannada

Kannada is a famous Dravidian language predominantly spoken in the Indian state of Karnataka. This is one of the twenty-two scheduled languages of India. It is the official language of the Indian state of Karnataka. Over 45 million speakers of this language are primarily available in Karnataka. In 2008, this language was officially recognized as a classical language in India.

Odia (Oriya)

Odia, sometimes called Oriya, is also an Indo-Aryan language, particularly spoken in Odisha, India. It serves as an official language in the Indian state of Odisha. It was also recognized as a classical language of India on March 1, 2014. Over 40 million people speak Odia in Odisha, which serves as the primary language in Odisha.

Malayalam

Malayalam is also one of the most spoken languages in India. It is one of the 22 classical languages of India. It serves as an official language in the Indian state of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. This Dravidian language is primarily spoken in Kerala and Lakshadweep. Also, this language was granted official recognition as a classical language on August 8, 2013.

These are India's top 10 most common languages. These are widely spoken in India. Hindi is the first language that is spoken in India, with over 500 million people.

By the way, a total of 22 classical languages are officially granted recognition in India.

This is just a guide to India's Top 10 Most Spoken Languages. To learn more information about these languages, start an online search.